Sonic difference bteween VPI hw 19 mk iv & VPI TNT

HW 19 MK IV with a SME 4.5 is an excellent machine and should deliver much of what the TNT can for allot less..go for it.

Which TNT? I have actually had both of these with SME IV arm and last year had a loaded Aries Extended with 12.7 arm. The good news is that either would be very good; I would lean toward the TNT but the 19 is also good. I think the TNT would give you better bass and a little bigger scale in general. I have found that larger and heavier tables generally have this effect while being a little less agile than lighter ones. YMMV. Since I am a VPI dealer and have been an SME dealer it is obvious I like both. 12" arms have advantages and disadvantages; the VPI is a unipiviot, the SME not. The SME is noted for bass production, the VPI perhaps has an edge in the higher frequencies; both are among the best available, at least at less than insane prices. So much is going to depend on electronics and speakers that I really have no idea how to tell how they would sound. Either will be suitable for a really good system.

I had a HW-19 Mk III and then a TNT Mk II, both with ET-2 linear tracking arms. At the time (early '90s), I thought the TNT was a major improvement, but it's a little hard to remember the specifics.

I since went with a pair of heavily modded idler-drive Lencos by Jean Nantais and am currently using the latest one, dating from 2005 with subsequent modifications and updates. No question in my mind that the Lencos significantly outperform the VPIs, at least of that era.

I have both the TNT MK III and a HW-19. I think the TNT sounds just like you would expect the HW-19s big brother wouild sound. More bass, midrange and treble extension. Better solidarity to the "images" Speed is more accurate also d/t SDS. I still like my HW-19 but wouldn't trade the TNT in for it!